June Thompson explains how
Asthma, already the most common chronic disease in childhood, is on the increase. A survey by the National Asthma Campaign has found that as many as one in seven children have asthma.
What is asthma?
Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the airways or bronchioles (the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs). In children with asthma the airways are almost always inflamed. Inflammation causes the tissues that line the airways to swell and produce extra or thick mucus (phlegm). The inflamed airways become more sensitive to trigger factors and react by narrowing. This makes it difficult for air to pass through and sets the scene for an asthma attack.
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